fallSALAD

....featuring my very favorite squash, the delicata!  

& if you are not familiar with it by name, it's the one that looks like this...

they are completely scrumptious & so easy to prepare.

preparation includes:  wash, slice, remove seeds, lightly brush with olive oil, add cracked pepper if you choose, bake and enjoy!  (i bake at 350 until squash softens and browns lightly)

this squash is absolutely good enough to eat on its own!  however, it is also super yummy incorporated into tasty fall recipes.  i keep it simple with this one and just add it to this hearty fall inspired salad, which is filling enough even for rob's appetite!  it's warm components & flavors compliment the cooler temperatures & quench the desire for more comforting foods, which tends to happen around this time of year.  ...more about eating seasonally in another post, perhaps? 

anyway, we enjoy having this salad for dinner on those nights where extensive cooking is not an option.  whether it is time that is a factor or "i just don't really feel like cooking much!"

so not only is it simple, but we also usually have enough left over for lunch the following day, which i think is always a bonus:)

ingredients.

delicata squash

brown rice or wild rice blend

arugula 

celery

honey crisp apple/s

raisins

walnuts

mackenzie creamery goat cheese (honey chevre flavor) 

dressing. 

olive oil & vinegar dressing (Newman's Own)

or 

Healthy Vinaigrette (Bragg's) 

directions.

prepare squash as indicated above.  prepare rice as package or bulk item indicates.  chop the ingredients that need chopping & then plate all of the above in salad form for serving. 

notes.

*  i did not include amounts for the ingredients, as you can make this for 1 or more....just make sure you have plenty of ingredients if you are going to be preparing for the "more".  for rob & i,  i use 2 small/medium delicata's & approximately one cup of rice.  this is enough for dinner for 2 & 1 lunch:)

*  if you want to add some meat to this salad (which i do on occasion)...it goes very nicely with any kind of grilled turkey or chicken sausage.  whole foods make some fresh & lovely flavor combinations that pair nicely with the flavors of this salad.  one of our personal favorites with this salad is their maple sage chicken or turkey sausage.  they do however, typically have more than one yummy flavor to pick from & that would work.

*the starch components of the delicata & other winter squash are very rich in health benefiting properties...having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, as well as anti-diabetic and insulin-regulating properties!  

enjoy! xo. e.

lentilSOUP.

...because i'm on a "sunday soup kick"!

i can't make it stop!  every sunday afternoon i make a big pot of soup.  we have it for dinner on sunday, and then again for dinner on monday.   ...and then, if there is any leftover, tuesday for lunch!

it all started when the temperatures began to drop as summer turned to fall.  although, i have to say that it is such an easy meal prep and really gives a good bang for the effort...not to mention it's comforting & tasty! 

i thought i would start with the lentilSOUP first.  however, this will not be it for the soup situation over here!  expect to see potatoBROCCOLI and an "oh so yummy" veggieSOUP, in the sundaySOUP/blog post line-up in the nearer future.  until then, maybe you have a big ole' bag-o-lentils that have been in your pantry for "umm...ever", just waiting to be made into this soup!  oh, wait...that's how this soup came to be:)  

lentilSOUP.

ingredients.

2 1/4 cup green lentils

2 quarts organic veggie broth

1 bunch kale (stems removed)

5-7 celery stalks chopped

4-6 carrots sliced

1 sweet potato medium/large chopped

1 medium/large onion

3 cloves garlic diced

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp cumin (later i then filled the 1/4tsp half-way & added that too, because it needed more!)

couple sprinkles of turmeric

cracked pepper (i always add lots)

sea salt to taste!

directions.

add all of the above into a large pot.  bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook with lid on, until the lentils, carrots, sweet potato, etc are soft & tender.  i like to let the soups i make cook for a pretty loooong while before serving, so the flavors come together.  once lentils & veggies are tender, remove the bay leaves and serve.  

enjoy! xo. e.

oatmealSMOOTHIES

...that's what has been happening here! 

oh, and i'm pregnant:)

which slightly explains my lack of blogging as of late.  i got a little thrown off around week 7 & 8 of being prego' because i had some major, major food aversion.  the thought of food, cooking food, eating food or even blogging about food was just, well, repulsive, for a lack of a better word.  

in fact, it was just enough to throw me completely off track, out of routine, and into the land of no bloggybloggerson.  so here i am at week 18 and just getting back into the swing of things on the rootedself blogging front.  unfortunately, the food aversion situation can not be my excuse for anything past those two weeks, as the feeling was (lucky for me) short lived...whew...thank goodness...i feel so grateful...& i really have so much respect for the mammas who endure the "other end of the spectrum" during the first trimester, or heaven forbid, beyond.  woman are tuff cookies, that is for sure!  mmmm...cookies!  anyway, besides being a little more tired than normal, i have literally just been taking this all in, enjoying what is, and well, just being.  but i am excited to be back at it and talking about oatmealSMOOTHIES!!!! yay!

they are seriously so very yummy tasting to me right now and even if you are not pregs'...you might enjoy one too!  besides, i think that they are perfect for right now, because although they are cold in temperature...the flavors and the oatmeal part make them feel kind of "fall-ish"!  not to mention, oatmeal is just so dang good for your health, providing an excellent reason to indulge!  it is full of immune boosting/hunger curbing/blood sugar stabilizing fiber, magnesium & antioxidants (and as a complete and total bonus)....these can literally be made in a blink of an eye!  

oatmealPB

ingredients.

1 cup vanilla almond milk (i used unsweetened)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 frozen banana

1tbsp peanut butter

1tsp chia powder

1 pitted date

a little bit of ice

directions.

blend together and enjoy! 

oatmealPUMPKIN

ingredients.

1 cup vanilla almond milk (i used unsweetened)

1/2cup rolled oats

1-1.5 frozen banana

1/3 cup pumpkin

1tbsp raisins (or less)

1 tbsp chia powder

cinnamon to taste

a little bit of ice

directions.

blend and enjoy! 

also, i love to hear & see, how & if, any of these ideas are working for you...so if you make something please do share a pic, your thoughts &/or your twists on the ideas...on here, or on instagram! (where you can follow me & share @rootedself)

also, i do have a facebook page in the works too (for those of you have been asking for a "one-stop shop" for blog & instagram to unite) but i'll have to keep you posted on that one!  ...baby steps, pun intended;) 

have a beautiful rest of the week!  xo. e.

goat cheeseGUAC.

....amole

or 

holy moly!!! :)

this was our "sunny sunday" snack!  and there really isn't a whole lot to say about it other than we rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreally enjoyed it & i thought that you might too!

goat cheeseGUACAMOLE.

ingredients.

2 ripe avocados

1/2 4oz log of Mackenzie Creamery sweet piquante chevre

1 tbsp. plain greek yogurt

1/2 cucumber diced

1 small garlic clove minced

11/2-2tbsp. onions diced

juice of 1 small lime

sea salt & pepper to taste

tabasco to taste (optional)

directions.

mix all of the above together & serve.  corn chips always go great with guacamole, but so does sliced red, yellow & orange bell pepper!  

enjoy!

ricePORRIDGE.

it's JUNE! 

however, i was rather chilly this morning waking up.  we have our windows open and the breeze that was coming through this morning was rather cool....& absolutely delightful!  i wanted to stay nestled under the covers but it's monday, i had to get up. 

right away i knew that i would not be starting this day off with cold green juice.  brrrrrrrr!  i definitely wanted something warm, hearty, comforting & quick...so off to the kitchen i went in search of "edible coziness"!

i was on a mission & decided that utilizing last nights brown rice leftovers would be a great start.  *the rice was already cooked *it's a great source of so many nutrients *i could add this & that *& it could easily be heated up...ultimately warming me up too!

what ended up happening was this super yummy ricePORRIDGE, which i completely enjoyed & will make again for sure, maybe even tomorrow!  ...although, now that i think of it,  i'm pretty sure we're out of rice:(

ingredients.

3/4 cup prepared brown rice

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

1/4tsp raw cacao powder

1tbsp unsweetened coconut

1tsp real maple syrup

"some" cinnamon (i like a lot)

"some"walnuts

a little vanilla if you choose.

1/2-1 banana

directions.

combine all of the above ingredients (except banana) in a small pot & warm up on the stove top.  place in a bowl.  garnish with a little extra coconut, walnuts & the banana too!

notes.

*ingredient amounts listed above were enough for me...so unfortunately there is currently not a  robFACTOR available at this time.  i apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause with potential husband taste testers ;) 

 *the amounts are also approximate.  i just threw this one together & then had to go back and think about how much of each ingredient i might of added, once i realized how much i liked it.  

*always add more or less of whatever to make the recipe work for you, your preferences and what you have in your kitchen.  the recipes i post can be followed exactly, or used as inspiration for your own spin offs.  

enjoy! e.

mangoDATE

it's like a "date" with a mango...on your plate! :O  

mangos, love em' & it's mango season somewhere... 

i am particularly fond of the champagne mango, just like the little yellow gem pictured below...but any ole' mango will do.  (country love song about mangos.)

this salad is sweet, savory & it won't leave you hungry!   

one thing i have learned with rob, is that if i am going to serve salad for dinner...then it better be filling!  not because he will bark about it, or anything, but if the salad is not filling... 20 minutes after dinner he'll be rummaging through the refrigerator, looking for dinner #2.  (choices may include, but are not limited too: ice cream, sugar cereal, meat &/or cheese) 

& really, i want it to be filling too!  i want to feel satisfied, nourished & content when i'm done eating...otherwise, i too, will have my head in the refrigerator 20 minutes later!   however, i'll be looking for dark chocolate, dark chocolate & dark chocolate!

ingredients.

butter lettuce or spinach works too

mango

avocado

sweet potato

beets

quinoa or brown rice

dates

cashews

cracked pepper

vidalia onion and cilantro dressing (i used cindy's kitchen found at WholeFoods)

grilled chicken if desired.

directions.

heat oven to 350 & slice sweet potato 1/4"thick or less slices.  place the sweet potatoes slices onto oven safe parchment paper on cookie sheet.  add crushed black pepper to taste.  we like 'em peppery!  place in oven and bake until they start to get golden brown, moving them around & flipping them during this time helps too.  the amount of time really depends on how you slice them (thick or thin) and how you like them cooked.  we like ours a little thicker, but crispy around the edges...so i leave them in for about 25-30 minutes.

(rob) grills the chicken breasts if, he's having chicken.

prepare the quinoa or the brown rice according to the directions.  

prepare the beets by boiling them in water until tender, run under cold water, peel & slice.  or you could use a preservative free already prepared or marinated beet.  i am currently really loving, or slightly addicted, to these little baby beets by LoveBeets, this salad is great with their "sweet fire" infused beets...again found at WholeFoods.

peal mango & avocado, then slice, along with the dates.

next,  place all of the ingredients on a plate however you choose!

notes.

*the sweet potatoes do not need any olive oil, they cook up nicely without.  just make sure you are using the oven safe parchment paper, so that you don't have any "sticking issues".  also, the potatoes prepared are an amazing addition to other meals, we love them & eat them weekly with something or other!  yummy as a snack too.

*if you are unable to find the dressing i suggested, a good preservative free, poppyseed dressing would be lovely too!  or heck, get crazy & experiment with your own selection, or you could even make your own.  (personally, i save that sort of thing for weekends when i have more time)

*i really like the tangy/acidity that a marinated beet adds to the salad.  a fresh cooked beet tastes amazing too, but it will be more earthy...however,  equally good!

*i didn't add amounts above, as this salad could be adapted for side salads, or for a large group.  i did however, use the following amounts for rob & i to each enjoy one large dinner size salad.

1 head of butter lettuce

1-11/2 small mango

1 avocado

1 large sweet potato

1 large fresh beet or 3 small marinated beets

3/4 cup rice or quinoa

3 dates

some cashews 

cracked pepper to taste on the sweet potatoes

dressing to taste.

& enjoy! e.

collardCHILADAS

...these ain't your mamma's enchiladas!

it's our "mexican food fix" all wrapped up in a big leafy green!

sometimes we just HAVE to HAVE mexican food.  we love it, we crave it...and so i make it!

which is exactly how these goody, goodies came to be. 

they are flavorful, saucy and completely satisfy our craving too!   

in fact, rob likes them sooooo much he wears a sombrero when he eats them! ;)

ingredients.

5-6 large collard greens

1 can refried beans (i use amy's organic/low sodium)

1 cup brown or wild rice (i use lundberg wild blend, it's so good)

1 small/medium red bell pepper diced

1 small white onion diced

1 small zucchini diced

1 can mild diced green chilies

 shredded mexican cheese

enchilada sauce (i use frontera red chile enchilada sauce)

fresh cut salsa

plain greek yogurt

avocado

buffalo meat (for the robs in your life) 

directions.

prepare the rice, as directed.  the rice i use takes about 45 minutes, so plan accordingly.  

dice red pepper, zucchini & onion.  also, open up the beans, green chilies, cheese, enchilada sauce and set all of them aside.

i also, brown the buffalo meat for rob at this time, drain it & then set aside too.  

heat oven to 350/375.

bring approx. 11/2"-2" of water to a boil in a large pot.  this is for the steaming of the collard greens, so they'll need some room.  once the water comes to a boil, turn it down to low and place the collard greens in the pot & place lid on top.  (i cut off the bottom & thickest part of the stems from the collards so they will bend a little easier).  let the collards stay in here until steamed enough that they soften & would be "roll-able", but not boiled or over steamed.  it doesn't take long, just a couple minutes.  keep an eye on them, as over cooking is not desired.  once they reach this point. remove them from the heat.  you may even want to run them under cold water, as you are going to handle them now.

place a collard green on the cutting board & slice a "V" like section out of the bottom, removing a little bit more of the thickest part of the stem.  (see image below, the tall picture on the left)  this will be helpful when rolling & folding.

next place a little bit of each ingredient on the collard, along the "spine" (see images above, top right).  i start with the beans, then the rice, the meat (for rob), red peppers, zucchini, onion, some green chilies, then a little bit of cheese & a dollop of the enchilada sauce on top.  & then roll it up long ways (see image above, bottom right), fold in the sides & then place "spine up, end folds facing down" into a baking dish.  

i then poke holes in the tops of the collardCHILADS with a knife.  next, top all of the rolled up collardCHILADAS with light cheese, a tiny bit more red pepper, onion & green chilies...then add  enchilada sauce over the top!

place in the oven & cook until cheese is melted & it has heated all the way through.  i like to let the cheese get a little browned and crispy on the ends, but that's just my preference. 

remove from the oven & let sit for a few minutes, as they will be hot, hot, hot.

next, plate it and top with fresh cut salsa, plain greek yogurt & avocado!



notes.
*you could also make these with ground turkey meat, which i have done before too.  rob, likes both, however, buffalo meat is more similar in taste to hamburger, it's leaner, has less fat and is also slightly higher in iron & B-12.  although turkey would be even leaner, all depends on what your going for & what you like.

*i personally, love these & am completely satisfied with the meat free version.  i just add more beans & rice to mine

*they also good topped with a little bit of diced cucumber

*if you have never substituted plain greek yogurt for sour cream, you are in for a real treat & you may never go back!  it's amazing!

*these are delicious the next day too!  the flavors rrrrrreally come together overnight.

enjoy! e.